TORONTO – The government of Canada has tightened the visa rules for international students making it a bit tough for foreigners to study in the country.
Canada’s immigration minister Marc Miller announced a series of new requirements for foreign students willing to come to Canada under which prospective international students will need to show from next year that they have access to $20,635 (Canadian Dollars) instead of the current $10,000 (Canadian Dollars) requirement; this is besides the amount students need to pay for tuition and exclusive of any fees for other family members coming to the country.
The current requirement has been in place for two decades while the new rule will apply to study permit applications received on or after January 1st 2024.
The government also plans to keep adjusting the minimum amount for students based on statistical data.
“International students provide significant cultural, social and economic benefits to their communities, but they have also faced challenges navigating life in Canada. We are revising the cost-of-living threshold so that international students understand the true cost of living here. This measure is key to their success in Canada. We are also exploring options to ensure that students find adequate housing. These long-overdue changes will protect international students from financially vulnerable situations and exploitation,” Miller said.
In a media interaction, the minister also warned about limiting number of visas and said the government expects that institutions “only accept the number of students that they are able to provide for, that they’re able to house, or assist in finding off-campus housing.
“Ahead of September 2024, we are prepared to take necessary measures, including significantly limiting visas, to ensure that designated learning institutions provide adequate and sufficient student supports,” he warned.
The minister said it was “imperative that all stakeholders – provincial and territorial governments, learning institutions and other education stakeholders” work together to ensure international students are well supported.
“Enough is enough. If provinces and territories cannot do this, we will do it for them and they will not like the bluntness of the instruments that we use … Provinces have a number of tools at their disposal — namely the regulation of the designated learning institutions, that in some cases just need actually to be shut down,” he said.
It bears mentioning that the government of Australia also hinted at discouraging immigration through fresh policies targeting students as well; the policies would be announced soon.
